Considering a Career as a Medical Technologist

The field of medical technology is wide ranging, continuing to grow in demand as the baby boom generation ages, and can involve interacting directly with patients, behind the scenes in labs, or a combination of both.  Medical technologists search for data on a patient's health, and therefore must work quickly and carefully to provide the physician with the correct data to accurately diagnose diseases. A good overview of the plethora of positions available in the medical technology field may be found on the Medical Technology Schools  and their Career Guides to learn about your options for work in the field.

CWU does not have a major in Pre or Medical Technology.  However, we do offer a set of prerequisite courses taken along with your major that prepare you to enter a medical technology program; you should major in a scientific field such as chemistry, microbiology, or biology. You will also benefit from a B.S. in a scientific field if you decide medical technology is not for you and you want to go in a different scientific direction.  You will still be working toward a major that will culminate in a CWU undergraduate degree. 

Prerequisite Coursework

The following courses are the most required by medical technology schools as prerequisites prior to admission. Students should always check their prerequisite classes against their top choices of schools, as schools do vary by requirement.

• MATH 153, 154 (Pre-Calculus) 
• CHEM 181, 182, 183 with labs (General Chemistry)
• CHEM 361, 362, 363 (optional) with labs (Organic Chemistry)
• BIOL 181, 182, 183 with labs (General Biology)
• BIOL 323 (Microbiology)
• BIOL 422 (Immunology)
• BIOL 426 with lab (Medical Microbiology)
• CS 101 (Computer Basics) or IT 101 (Computer Applications)

In addition, coursework in the following is strongly recommended:

• CHEM 332 with lab (Quantitative Analysis)
• CHEM 431 with lab, 432 (Biochemistry)
• BIOL 321 (Genetics)
• BIOL 425 (Molecular Biotechnology - BIOL 321 is a prerequisite)
• BIOL 352 (Parasitology)
• BIOL 355, 356 (Human Anatomy and Physiology)
• BIOL 421 (General Virology) 
• PHYS 111, 112, 113 with labs (Introductory Physics) or 181, 182, 183 with labs (General Physics)
• MATH 130 (Finite Mathematics) and 311 (Statistical Concepts and Methods) or PSY 362 (Introductory Statistics) 

Please check the requirements of individual schools you are interested in attending and seek advising early to check that the proper coursework is being taken to ensure on-time graduation.

CWU Pre-Medical Technology Advisor

We recommend you contact the advisor as early as possible to share your course plan.

College of the Sciences Advising Office
Advising for students with interest in pre-medical technology study paired with Biology or Chemistry majors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does my GPA need to be?
Check the recommended GPA of the programs you are considering, but also keep in mind that successful applicants usually have higher GPAs than the minimum.

How important are letters of recommendation?
Very! Admission committees consider academic and character recommendations that applicants obtain from faculty members, supervisors, and other mentors. Letters of recommendation should discuss and critically evaluate your academic ability, strengths and weaknesses, motivation for medicine, maturity, special attributes and assets you may possess, as well as the difficulty of coursework you attempted.  Recommendations are usually written between your third and fourth year of college. It is extremely important, therefore, to take the time to develop working relationships with faculty members to assist them in writing you strong, comprehensive letters of recommendation.

Other Resources

NAACLS Accredited Program Search and MTS NAACLS-Accredited MLS/CLS Programs
Advanced Medical Technology Association
American Medical Technologists 

Pacific Northwest Medical Technology Programs: 
University of Washington Master’s of Science in Laboratory Medicine & Pathology
Heritage University Medical Laboratory Science Program (located in Toppenish, WA)
Providence Laboratory Medicine Education Programs (located at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, WA)
Oregon Institute of Technology / OHSU Medical Laboratory Science Program  see also “Prospective Students” (Portland Metro)
Idaho State University Medical Laboratory Science Program (B.S. or M.S., located in Pocatello, ID)